The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Alexander Wennberg to a three-year entry level contract, the club announced today.

“In talking to Alexander after the season, he made it very clear that he wanted to sign, work hard this summer and then come to training camp to try to make our team,” said general manager Jarmo Kekalainen in a release. “He is an outstanding young player and we are excited to watch him develop in the coming years.”

Wennberg was drafted 14th overall last summer and had 16 goals for Frolunda HC this past season in the Swedish Hockey League. The 19-year-old center is just one more reason to be optimistic about the future of the Jackets.

“I’m really excited about signing the contract and being part of the Blue Jackets organization,” Wennberg told BlueJackets.com. “This has been a great year for me. I was able to play in the higher level over in Sweden, which was a good experience for me and I learned a lot from that. It was a good call for me to play against better players, and it was always part of my plan with Columbus and how they wanted me to play and everything.”

Just another piece in a Blue Jackets franchise that promises to keep getting better. I’m a huge Kekalainen fan. He’ll win GM of the year before long. And If Horton can manage to stay healthy for most of his contract, Columbus will be a real threat in the East for a long time.